Combined boot jack, shoe horn and mud scraper



v- 29, 1955 T. c. BARNES 2,725,167

COMBINED BOOT JACK, SHOE HORN AND MUD SCRAPER Filed May 12, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR. THOMAS C. BARNES ATTYS Nov. 29, 1955 T. c. BARNES 2,725,167

COMBINED BOOT JACK, SHOE HORN AND MUD SCRAPER Filed May 12, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

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n4- THOMAS C. BARNES ayi%ljjaam ATTYS T. C. BARNES Nov. 29, 1955 COMBINED BOOT JACK, SHOE HORN AND MUD SCRAPER Filed May 12, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR. THOMAS c. BARNES 3 m flmfifif ATTYS United States Patent 9 2,725,167 I COMBINED BOOT JACK, SHOELHORN AND MUD SCR AIER Thomas C. B arnes, Sterling, Ohio- Appli'cati'on May 12;,1953',.Serial No. 354,587 8 ('Ilai'ms; (61;:223-113) This invention relates to a combined boot jack, shoe horn and mud scraper, adapted for use with overshoes, boots and other footwear.

An object ofthisinventionis to-provide a single structure having incorporated therein a boot jack which can be used to remove overshoes, boots, shoes and the like without handling same; ashoe horn which can be used to facilitate the insertion of the foot' into a shoe or the like, or a shoe into an'overshoe or thelike, without necessitating; handling of the shoe or overshoe; and a mud scraper'which can beused" to remove mud from all types of footwear without handling same.

Another object is to provide a combination structure of the type referredto'having'a substantially rigid tiltable base member, the front end portion ofwhich extends upwardly at a slight angle when the remainder of the'base lies in a normal horizontal position, whereby the boot jack carried by said front end portion may be properly utilized, with saidfront'end portion being movable downwardly to a horizontal-position when the shoe horn, also carried by'said front end portion, is to be utilized;

A- further object is to arrange the boot jack, shoe horn and'mud scraper elements'in the front end portion of the base in'such manner that the boot jack and mud scraper may be more readily used when said front end portion extends angularly upward, while the shoe horn may be readily used by merely tilting said frontend portion downwardly to horizontalposition;

A further object is to provide a novel boot jack having roughened areas to more readily provide frictional contacts for thespeedy'removal of overshoes or'the like.

A further object is to provide'extensions on the base adjacent the'mud' scraperto assist the latterby removing mud from the sides-of overshoes or other footwear.

A further object ist'o provide a. rigid shoe horn projecting-from'thefront end portion of the base so that upon downward movement of said front end portion, the shoe horn'will properlyenter a-shoe. or overshoe or the like, without the user stooping. Thus, when the foot of the useris'placed in the shoe, or his shoe is placed in the overshoe, the heel will slide down the horn and into proper position without requiring-the user to stoop down or to handle thehorn'in any way. The horn may then be withdrawn merely by tiltingthe'front'end portion of the base upwardly again.

A further object is to reinforce thebase' with: a sheet of metal, such as steel; aluminum, or other suitable material, more particularly in the area in which tilting occurs, sothat the proper'angular relationship will be maintained between the'f'ront end portion and the remainder of the base.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in. conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspectiveview of my combination structure'" with the b'oo'tjack' a'n'd mudscraper in proper position for-use,

Fig. 2 is a-top plan view'partly broken'away,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on line 3--3ofFig. 2, with'broken lines indicating the position of the structurewhen the shoe horn is to be used, and

Fig. 4 isa front elevation;

ice

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates the base of the combination structure in its entirety, having a rear portion 11 and a front end. portion 12 extending permanently at a slight angle. with respect to the rear portion, which angle, as cl'early'shown in the drawings, is an oblique angle. In this instance the angular relationship between the front and rear portions of the. base? is. maintained by bending'a sheet of metal 13, such as steel or aluminum, or other" suitable material, to the desired'angle indicated at 14 (Fig. 3); Thereafter, the bent sheet 13 is molded, embedded or" otherwise incorporated into. the material of'the base, which material may be a hard rubber, or rubberized fabric, or asuitabl'e plastic. Th'eb'ase may be of uniform thickness: in its rear portion, but'its front portion preferably" increases in thickness toward its front end (Figs; 1 and 3).

As indicated in Figs. 2" and 31 the plate 13 neednot extend to the rear end of base portion 11, but only far enough to insure proper'tilting of the base when desired, for example, from thefull' line to the broken line position in Fig. 3', and back again to the full line position. Rearwardly of plate 13, base portion 11 preferably is provided with a plurality of spaced annular openings 15, tapering to a larger diameter at their lower' ends, and through which small. lumps of mud or clay, or water may pass.

With respect to the front portion of the base, the plate 13 preferablyextend's substantiall'ytothe front end thereof, while its central portion is gradually reduced in width and bent to provide ashoe horn, indicated in its entirety by the numeral 16; Asmoreclearly indicated in Fig. 3, the shoehorn 16'is formed with a portion 1'7 projecting outwardly and upwardly. from the: front end of the base, a narrow portion 18 extending forwardly from portion- 17, and a tongue portion 19" extending'forwardly and downwardly from portion 1 8. The tongue 19 tapers downwardly and is" slightly concave? in" the usual manner of a shoe horn, the arrangement" being such that when the base 10 is tilted from the full line? position to the broken line position in" Fig; 3; the tongue 19" can enter a shoe or overshoe 20*pla'ced in position thereunder. It is believed to be" apparent that the" shoe horn 16 need not be an extension of plate'13; but may be' a separate element suitably secured to thefront end of the basea On opposite sides of its reduced'central portion, the plate 13 is cut out to'providetriangular openings 21, and the-base material is similarly'cut out to provide triangular openings 22. The openings 22 determine the size ofthe boot jacks, indicated in their entirety by. the numeral" 23.

Each boot jack 23'cornprisesupper substantially vertical wall portions 24, and lower ledge'portions 25' extending.

inwardly from the wallportions at substantially right angles thereto, and the front edges 26 of the ledge portions 25 taper downwardly, as more clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and'4. Preferably the outer'surfa'ces of wall portions 24 and ledgeportions 25 are roughened orknurled, as indicated by the numeral 27, to increase the frictional contact with footwear to be removed. The arrangement of the boot jacks'is such that either one may be readily utilized to remove the shoes or overshoes 28, as indicated in Fig. 1'. I

Rearwardly of the shoe horn 16, the plate 13 is-cutaway to provide an opening 29 therein, .which substantially coincides with an opening 30form'ed in the front end portion 12 of the base. A portion 31 of the plate I3is. bent upwardly at an angle through the opening 30', and extends far enough above the surface of the" base to be utilized as a scraper blade for removing mud from the.

The various elements of my combination structure may quickly and easily be utilized as desired. When the mud scraper is to be used, one foot of the user remains on the base portion 11 to hold it in horizontal position, while the footwear on the other foot is scraped across the scraper blade 31 and against the wings 32, with the scraped mud being able to pass through opening 3-0 out of the way of the user. The position of the feet of the user is then reversed and the mud scraped from the footwear on the other foot.

Similarly, when either of the boot jacks is to be used, for example for removing overshoes without bending over, one foot of the user remains on base portion 11 to keep the latter horizontal while the heel or some other portion of the overshoe on the other foot is placed in engagement with either one of the boot jacks, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1. Thereafter a rearward and upward movement of the users leg will remove the overshoe. To remove the second overshoe, the feet are reversed and the procedure repeated.

In using the shoe horn, for example in applying an overshoe to a shoe without the user bending over, an overshoe (Fig. 3) is placed on the floor or other horizontal area. Then by stepping on the front portion 12 of the base, the latter is tilted to the broken line position in Fig. 3, whereby the tongue 19 will enter the overshoe and contact the inside of the heel portion of the overshoe. Now, while one foot remains on portion 12 of the base, the shoe on the other foot is placed in the overshoe and the heel of the shoe will slide down the tongue 19 and into proper position in the overshoe. The shoe horn can now be withdrawn by merely stepping on the rear portion 11 of the base to permit portion 12 to return to its upward position. Thereafter, a second overshoe can be applied to the other shoe in the same manner.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited to such embodiment, and that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a base having integral front and rear portions joined in end to end relation and arranged angularly with respect to each other and tiltable by the action of the feet of a user standing thereon whereby when one of said portions is horizontal said other portion extends upwardly at an oblique angle from the horizontal, and part of said front portion being cut out to form a boot jack operable to assist in removing the users footwear when said front portion extends angularly upward.

2. A device of the character described comprising a base having integral front and rear portions joined in end to end relation and arranged angularly with respect to each other and tiltable by the action of the feet of a user standing thereon whereby when one of said portions is horizontal said other portion extends upwardly at an oblique angle from the horizontal, part of the front end of said front portion extending outwardly and being shaped in the form of a shoe horn operable to assist in applying the users footwear when said front portion is horizontal.

3. A device of the character described comprising a base having integral front and rear portions joined in end to end relation and arranged angularly with respect to each other and tiltable by the action of the feet of a user standing thereon whereby when one of said portions is horizontal said other portion extends upwardly at an oblique angle from the horizontal, and part of said front portion being bent upwardly and outwardly from said front portion intermediate its ends to form a mud scraper movable to operative position when said rear portion is moved to its horizontal position.

4. A device of the character described comprising a base having integral front and rear portions joined in end to end relation and arranged angularly with respect to each other, a rigid plate embedded in said base and bent so as to maintain said angular arrangement of said front and rear portions, said base and plate being tiltable merely by the action of the feet of a user standing thereon whereby when either of said portions is horizontal said other portion extends upwardly at an oblique angle from the horizontal, and part of said front portion being cut out to form a boot jack operable to assist in removing the users footwear when said front portion extends angularly upward.

5. A device of the character described comprising a base having integral front and rear portions joined in end to end relation and arranged angularly with respect to each other, a rigid plate embedded in said base and bent so as to maintain said angular arrangement of said front and rear portions, said base and plate being tiltable merely by the action of the feet of a user standing thereon whereby when either of said portions is horizontal said other portion extends upwardly at an oblique angle from the horizontal, and part of the front end of said plate extending beyond the front end of the front portion of said base and being shaped to form a shoe horn operable to assist in applying the users footwear when said front portion is horizontal.

6. A device of the character described comprising a base having integral front and rear portions joined in end to end relation and arranged angularly with respect to each other, said front portion having a medial opening therein said base including a rigid reinforcing plate having front and rear portions bent angularly in the same angular relationship as said first named front and rear portions, said base being tiltable by the action of the feet a user standing thereon whereby when either of said base portions is horizontal said other base portion extends upwardly at an oblique angle from the horizontal, part of said front portion of said plate intermediate its ends being additionally bent upwardly through said opening and out of the plane of the plate to provide a scraper blade.

7. A device of the character described comprising a base having integral front and rear portions joined in end to end relation and arranged angularly with respect to each other, said base including a rigid reinforcing plate having front and rear portions bent angularly in the same angular relationship as said first named front and rear portions, said base being tiltable by the action of the feet of a user standing thereon whereby when either of said base portions is horizontal said other base portion extends upwardly at an oblique angle from the horizontal, part of the front end of said front portion of said plate extending beyond the front end of the front portion of said base and being shaped to form a shoe horn.

8. A device of the character described comprising a base having integral front and rear portions arranged angularly with respect to each other, said base including a rigid reinforcing plate having front and rear portions bent angularly in the same angular relationship as said first named front and rear portions, said base being tiltable by the action of the feet of a user standing thereon whereby when either of said base portions is horizontal said other base portion extends upwardly at a slight angle from the horizontal, said front base portion having an opening intermediate its ends, part of said front portion of said plate intermediate its ends being bent upwardly through said opening to provide a mud scraper blade, and supplemental scraper means carried by said front base portion and projecting laterally into said opening forwardly of and in spaced relation to said blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

